'Full circle' moment for Mother Teresa Middle School alum now intern teaching

A former student at Mother Teresa Middle School (MTMS) in Regina has headed back to the classroom to further his education. However, this time he’s standing at the front, instead of sitting down at a desk.

Draydin Cyr, 22, is working to complete his internship for his Bachelor of Education at the First Nations University of Canada.

He was one of the first Grade 6 students to enroll in MTMS when it first opened its doors in 2011. For the next couple of months, he will be the intern teacher in the school’s Grade 8 classroom.

“I’m having so much fun teaching here,” Cyr said. “This school has supported me my whole life so it would be good to come back and then give back in that way especially for the next generations.”

Before Cyr attended MTMS, he likely wouldn’t have considered a career in education. He said he struggled attending school in the past and never felt challenged. He missed more than 50 days of class in Grade 5. His mindset changed when he started at MTMS.

“There’s tons of extracurricular activities and tons of community engagement. I just remember having so much fun on all the different outings and the experiential learning pieces that this school offers,” he said.

“They challenged me in every aspect. They absolutely had higher expectations for everybody and no exceptions. Everybody was expected to perform and do their best and follow the rules and make connections.”

MTMS teaches Grades 6 to 8. About 70 per cent of its students are Indigenous and the school has a focus on cultural programming, including land-based education and drumming.

Cyr, who is from Pasqua First Nation, said MTMS helped him connect with his culture.

MTMS staff continue to work with students through its graduate support program after they move on from Grade 8. The program provides guidance for MTMS students all the way from high school to post-secondary with the end goal of helping them find employment in any field.

Once Cyr finishes his degree, he will be one of the first students to complete the graduate support program.

“You always envision it, now it’s a reality. He’s actually going full circle from a Grade 6 student to now he’s doing his internship to become a teacher,” said director of student supports Ron Gonzales.

“It’s been an amazing journey with that young man.”

After graduating Grade 8 at MTMS, Cyr went on to get his high school diploma from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame.

Cyr credits teachers and supporters like Gonzales for helping him get to where he is today.

“The teachers themselves inspired me. I had really awesome teachers that really helped me out in my life and got me to the point I am at,” he said. “They were really my first role models in life.”

Cyr hopes he can be a role model for his current and future students. He said he is focused on building relationships and offering support.

Grade 8 student Cooper Lerat already looks up to Cyr. He’s hoping to follow in his teacher’s footsteps and attend Notre Dame before going to the University of Saskatchewan for veterinary medicine.

“I want to go on to post-secondary like he has and then he probably set a goal for himself and I am wanting to set a goal and meet that goal like he has,” Lerat said.

Cyr wraps up his internship at MTMS at the end of April. However, he hopes to land a permanent job at the school in the future.